Construction of the valves and pistons oe pumps



NITEI) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN CLARK, OF PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE VALVES AND PISTONS OF PUMPS.

Speccation of Letters Patent No. 2,817, dated October 11, 1841.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN CLARK, of Portsmouth, in the county of Norfolkand State of Virginia, have invented an Improvement in the Manner ofConstructing the Valves and Pistons of Pumps for Raising Tater and otherFluids; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exactdescription thereof.

In my improved manner of constructing the valves and pisto-ns of pumps,the piston is made to perform the do-uble office of a piston and avalve; and the lower valve, or box, is formed in the same manner withthe piston, the only dilference between the two being that said lowerbox operates as a valve o-nly, retaining its proper situation in thebarrel.

In the acco-mpanying drawing, I have given a vertical section of a partof a pump, showing the upper and lower boxes.

A, A, is the pump-tree, or body of the pump. B, is the piston rod, andO, the piston.

D, is the lower box.

The piston O, is represented as formed by making a metal dish a, o, ofnearly the diameter of the box of the pump, and placing within this apiece of leather c, o, which is confined within the dish a, o, by meansof a disk of metal CZ, CZ, through which, and through the leather andthe dish, passes a small screw bolt c. The leather c, o, rises above theedge of the dish a, a, and constitutes the packing of the piston.

The box, or valve, D, may be made in the same manner, but itisrepresented as formed of a single piece of metal f, f, cast in the formof a dish, and having a groove cut in its edge at g, g for the insertionof the leather' c, c, which may be held in place by the closing of themetal upon it; the former modes of leathering, or packing, as shown atC, I prefer, as being` most easily repaired. The piston rod is attachedto the piston by a joint pin at it, which oint pin is not in the centerof the piston, being nearer to the side z', than to the side 71'; theconsequence of which will be that as the piston descends, the side i',will be raised above the side z', and allow a water way proportioned tothe resistance with which it meets. When at rest, the piston will againbecome horizontal by its own gravity, and will, in ascending, performits proper oflice as such.

E, is a bar which supports the lower box D, said bar extending across,and being fastened to, the body of the pump; to a rod, or bar, F, makinga part of the bar E, the valve D, is attached by a joint pin, in thesame manner in whichthe piston O, is attached to the piston rod; and itsoperation will, of course, be similar. The valve, or box, D, isrepresented in the drawing as opened to its fullest extent, which wouldhappen when the piston was being raised rapidly, and in this case nearlythe whole capacity of the barrel will become water way. When the pistonis worked less rapidly, the valve would be opened to a smaller distance;the valve and piston thus become self-adapting in this particular, andadmit of a more free passage of water than can be obtained by valves asordinarily constructed.

Valves and pistons made upon this principle are applicable, equally, topumps of a large or of a small size; they may be employed in pumps forships, or in those used to pump liquids from a hogshead, or barrel. Theymay be applied to forcing, as well as to lifting, pumps. When applied tothe former, the piston rod may work through a stuffing-box in the top ofthe pump barrel, and the opening into the rising main be above thepiston.

Having` thus fully described the nature of my improvements in the valvesand pistons of pumps, and shown the operation thereof; what I claim asnew therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The attaching of the said pistons and valves, the former to thepiston-rod, and the latter to a rod, or bar, of metal, by a joint pin,out of their centers, by which they will be enabled to tilt, and allowthe passage of water upward, and will resume their horizontal positionwhen the water, or other liquid, is not ascending within the pump; thesaid valve being made so as to occupy the whole section of the barrel ofthe pump, and the arrangement and operation of the respective partsbeing substantially such as are herein described and made known.

JOHN CLARK.

Vitnesses Trios. P. JoNns, M. E. JONES.

